Alfândega da Fé Hotel

Perched at 1,100 metres in the Serra de Bornes, Alfândega da Fé Hotel is a mountain retreat built around silence, altitude and views of the Douro that most guests won't believe are real until they see them from the balcony. Rooms range from older, more traditional units to newly renovated ones, no two quite alike, but every room looks out over the Vale da Vilariça, so the view is never the compromise.

The spa runs on two pools that couldn't be more different. Outside, an infinity pool suspended over the Vale da Vilariça turns a swim into something closer to floating above the valley. Inside, a second pool with jacuzzi and water jets takes over when the weather doesn't cooperate, alongside the sauna and Turkish Bath. The restaurant serves traditional Portuguese cuisine built on fresh, local produce, with the same valley view, and the reading room and bar are built for slowing down rather than filling an itinerary.

For guests who want to move, the property has a well-equipped fitness centre, with hiking trails and river canoeing close by. Alfândega da Fé Hotel is less a stop on a route through the Douro than a reason to plan the route around it.